Wire straightening device



`une 20, 1933. M, NIGRO v 1,914,975

WIRE: STRAIGHTENING DEVICE' Filed Nov. 27, 1931 III-II'IIIIH By AonnqyPatented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEV MICHEL NIGRO, F'WOBCmTEB, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, T0 SLEEPEB HABTLEY, INC., 0FWORCESTER, IASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF EASSACHUSETTS WIRESTRAIGHTENING DEVICE Application led November 27, 1931. Serial No.577,418.

The present invention relates to wire straightening devices arranged tooperate in conjunction with wire forming mechanisms of various kinds fordelivering straight wire thereto.

In prior devices of this character, a straightening effect has beenobtained by passing the wire through a set of rolls offset from oneanother to cause straightening in one plane, additional sets of rollsbeing employed to obtain a straightening effect in more than one plane;In practice, dilliculties have been encountered in producing perfectlystraight wire with the above described arrangement, both because of thetendency of the wire to twist between different sets of rolls, and byreason of the straightening operations'in different planes occurringindependently of each other.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved wirestraightener characterized by its ability to obtain a maximumstraightening efect from a single set of rolls arranged for simultaneousstraightening of the wire in more than one plane. Other and furtherobjects and advantages will appear from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a planview of a wire straightening'rdevice em odying the inventlon.

ig. 2 is a vertical section along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1, portionsbetween being in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device showing the extent of thebending action during the straightening operation.

v Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the drawing.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the wire straightening device issupported on a substantially rectangular base 1 in which are mounted aseries of s indles 2, carrying straightening rolls 3, su stantially inalinement longitudinally of the device, with a second series of spindles4 carrying straightenlng rolls 5, also in alinement longitudinally ofthe device and spaced laterally from the rolls 3. The rolls 3 arearranged in alternate staggered relation with respect to the rolls 5 toreceive a wire a therebetween and to perform a compound straighteningaction thereon as the wire passes through the device.

The spindles 2 are arranged for individual adjustment on the base 1 atright angles to their axes, such adjustment being procured by a numberof hand wheels 6 extending beyond the base 1. Each hand wheel 6determines v the position of the corresponding spindle 2, whereby eachof the rolls 3 is independently adjustable toward or away from the rolls5 in the plane of said rolls. AS shown in Fig. 2, the spindles 2 areeach shiftable in'a slot 7 provided in the base 1, since the lower endof each spindle is mounted in a block 8 transversely slidable on theunder side of the base of the machine and held in position by a plate 9secured to said base'. Each block 8 is provided at one end with athreaded bore-for the reception loi? a 'feed screw 10 which extendsthrough a `depending longitudinal flange 11 on the base and is heldagainst axial movement relative to said base by collars 12 and 13engaging opposite sides of the flange 11. The hand wheels 6 are securedto the outer ends of the feed screws 10, and rotation of each hand wheel6 causes sliding movement of the corresponding block 8 transversely ofthe base to carry the roll 3 mounted on the corresponding spindle 2'toward or away from the other group of rolls 5.

Similarly, the rolls 5 are adjustable individually at right angles totheir axes toward or away from the group of rolls 3 by rotation of acorresponding number of hand wheels 14.r Each hand wheel 14 is mountedon the outer end of a feed screw 15, the inner end of which engages athreaded bore 16 in 90 a block 17 transversely slidable on the underside of the base 1 between adjacent blocks 8, above, and held inposition by the plate 9. Each block 17 supports the lower end of thecorresponding sp1ndle 4, said splndle extending upwardly from said blockthrough a n elongated slot 18 in the base. Each roll 5 1s mounted forrotation on the upper end of the corresponding spindle 4 substantially1n the plane of the other group of rolls 3 and rotation of the handwheels 14, as will be apparent, carries the rolls 5 individuallyinwardly or outwardly in the plane of said rolls relative to the othergroup of rolls. ,y

The staggered relation of the rolls 3 and 5 provides for a reversebending of the wire a substantially in one plane. to procure astraightening action in said plane, as will hereinafter more fullyappear, the degree of said bending being determined by adjustment of therolls 3 and 5 toward 0r away from each other in the plane of the rolls.

The rolls 3 and 5. as above stated, are arranged to also procure areverse bending of the wire substantially in a second plane angularlyrelated to the first plane of bending, so that the wire passing throughthe device is entirely straightened, the bending actions in both planesoccurring simultaneously. As best shown by the sectional view of Fig. 2,each of the rolls 3 is provided with a flange 19 extending outwardlyfrom the face of said roll on the upper portion thereof. The lower face20 of said flange extends upwardly from the surface of said roll at asmall angle to the horizontal, to provide, with the vertical surface 22of the roll, a downwardly opening groove 21 in which the wire a isreceived during its passage through the machine. Each of the rolls 5 hasa flange 23 extending from the lower portion of said roll, said flangehaving its upper-surface 24 extending downwardly at a slight angle tothe horizontal, the intersecting vertical surface 25 of the roll and thesurface 24 providing an upwardly opening groove 26 for the reception ofthe wire a.

The construction shown in the drawing is particularlyv intended forstraightening a wire rectangular lin cross-section, and the grooves 21and 26 each accordingly provide a rectangular portion within which acorner of the `wire is received as said wire passes through thestraightening device. To this end, the cylindrical surfaces l22 and 25of rolls 3 and 5, respectively, are undercut adj a'- cent the flanges 19and 23 to provide narrow frusto-conical surfaces 27 and 28 at rightanglesA to the inclined annular surfaces 20 and 24 of said flanges. Thisrectangular portlon of each groove prevents undesiredtwisting of thewire a as will hereinafter appear. As the wire a passes between therolls, in the grooves 21 and 26 which grooves, as shown 1n Fig. 2, aredisplaced vertically, a bending action in a second plane angularlyrelated to the first plane of bending is procured and the extent of thebending action in this plane may be varied by axial adjustment of oneset of 4, on which one of the rolls 5 is mounted, is

reduced in diameter and carries thereon the inner race 30 of a ballbearing 31 which race engages a shoulder 32 on said spindle. The upperend of the race 30 is in engagement with a plate or washer 33 throughwhich a bolt 34 extends for screw threaded engagement in the end of thespindle 4, said plat'e 33 lholding the bearing race in position againstaxial movement. The outer race 35 of the bearing is .received in aninternal bore 5a of the roll 5 and abuts at its upper end a shoulder 36provided'at the upper end of the bore 5a. The lower end of the outerrace 35 is engaged by a projecting flange 37 on an annular retaining cap38 which is mounted on the under side of the roll 5 with its flange 37received within the bore 5a of the roll 5. Another cap 40 closes theupper end of the roll 5 with a flange 41 seated in the smaller portionof the roll bore 5a. Thus, the bearing 31 permits free rotation of theroll 5 on the spindle 4, while solidly supporting the roll 5 on thespindle against downward axial thrust on said roll.

In a somewhat different manner, each of the rolls 3 is rotatably mountedon a ball bearing 44 against upward movement on its correspondingspindle 2, the roll and the entire ball bearing assembly being carriedby a sleeve 42 surrounding the spindle 2 and slidable axially thereon.The sleeve 42 provides a shoulder 42." on its outer surface againstwhich the upptv end of the inner race 43 of the ball bearing 44 ispressed in an internal bore of the roll 3 in engagement with a shoulder46. The bearing is covered at its upper end by an annular cap 47surrounding the upper end of sleeve 42, with a depending flange 48engaging the bore of the roll 3. hand wheel 50 is screw threaded on theupper end of the spindle 2, the lower surface of said hand wheelengaging with the upper end of the sleeve 42 to hold the sleeve 42 andthe entire roll assembly against axial movement on the spindle 2.Integral with the hand wheel 50 is an outwardly extending' flange 51-Vhich extends over the annular cap to prevent dust andy foreign matterfrom entering the bearing.

As above pointed out, the rolls 3 are indiv vidually adjustablevertically on the spindles 2 to vary the bending action on the wire4 andto this end, a coil spring 52isurrounds each spindle 2 above itsmounting inthe block 8 to press the roll assembly on the sleeve 42against hand wheel 50. The lower end of the spring 52 seats on the block8 with the upper end engaging a ring 53 which supports the lower end ofthe sleeve 42. Consequentl ,rotation of each hand wheel causes inividnal vertical movement of each roll 3 along the corresponding spindle2, the spring 52 acting to always maintain the upper end of the sleeve42 in contact with the'hand Wheel. The adjustment in vertical positionof the rolls 3, as will be readily apparent from a consideration of thedrawing, determines the degree of bending effect on the wire a due tothe vertical displacement of the roll grooves 21 and 26.

As the wire a is drawn through the device between the rolls 3 and 5 inthe direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3, it is subjectedto bending actions occurring simultaneously in different planes. Thefirst bending action results from the staggered relation of alternaterolls 3 and 5 in the plane of the rolls, and by reason of the angularityof surfaces 27 and 28 the bending action occurs in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to said surfaces. As most clearly shown in Fig. 1, thebending in this plane is diminished by predetermined amounts, as thewire passes through the straightening device, by the individual settingof the successive rolls 3 or 5, toward or away from the opposite rolls,such roll adjustment being obtained through the hand wheels 6 and 14.The second bending action occurs simultaneously with the first bendingaction as the wire a is bent substantially perpendicularly to thesurfaces 20 and 24 of the flanges during its passage between the rolls.As best shown in Fig. 3, the surfaces 20 and 24 of the rolls 3 and 5 areoffset vertically, the surfaces 20 being lower than the surfaces 24, sothat the wire is bent by alternate downward thrust of the successiveanges 19 and upward thrust of the fianges 23. The bending action in thisplane is decreased as the 'wire reaches the end of 'the straighteningaction takes place on a wire rectangular in cross-section, it will beapparent that substantially the same action will take place on a wirehaving any other desired cross-section, since'the correspondingangularly related planes in which the two bending actions occur arealways normal to the surfaces on the rolls receivin the angular thrusts.As will be apparent rom Fig. 2, the

wire, being rectangular in cross-section, env Y gages the rectangulargrooves in the rolls, and, said grooves in successive rolls havingsubstantially parallel sides, the wire is prevented from rotating ortwisting as it passes through the device. In this manner each successivereverse bend on the wire in 'either plane of bending occurs along thesame diameter or diagonal, throughout the straightening action.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present inventionprovides a s1n le set of rolls for bending a wire passing e tween themin two angularly related planes, the bending action in both of saidplanes occurring simultaneously. The device is adinstable so that thedegree of bending in either plane may be varied by individual adjustmentof the rolls both in the plane of the rolls and axially relative to oneanother.

I claim:

1.v In a device of the class described, a series of wire straighten-ingrolls to bend a Wire substantially in one plane, and staggered flangeson said rolls for simultaneously bending the same section of the Wire inanother plane angularly related to said first plane.

2. In a wire straightening device, a series of wire straightening rollsadjustable in one plane, and a second series of cooperating rolls spacedfrom and in staggered relation to said first series, said second seriesbeing adjustable both normal and parallel to the plane of adjustment ofthe first series.

3. In a device of the class described, a series of wire straighteningrolls'and a second series of cooperating rolls in staggered relation tothe first rolls and in substantially the plane of the first rolls, meansto adjust individually the rolls of one of said series relative to theother series in the plane of said rolls and other means to adjustindividually the rolls of one of said series relative to the otherseries perpendicularly to the plane of the rolls.

4. Ina wire straighteningfdevice a plurality of straightening rolls instaggered relation between which a wire is drawn for a straighteningoperation, said rolls having opposed flanges for reversely bending thewire at an angle to the plane of said rolls, said rolls being relativelyadjustable individually toward and away from each other in the series ofwire straightening rolls and a second series of coo rating rolls instaggered relation to the rst rolls and substantially in the plane ofthe first rolls, means to adjust individually the rolls of at least oneof said series relative to the other series in the plane of said rolls,and other means to adjust individually the rollsof at least lone of saidseries relative te the other series perpendicular to the plane of therolls.

` MICHEL NIGRO.

